


The Promise of Sand Beneath the Sunset

by Howlingdawn



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1920s, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Fluff, Humor, Romance, Valentine's Day, because i haven't written the main story, no prior knowledge of this au is required for reading this, so there are like 2 people besides myself who know what happens, so you have nothing to worry about
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:34:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22731052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Howlingdawn/pseuds/Howlingdawn
Summary: Technically, it's Ben and Rey's first proper Valentine's Day together. Technically, it's also their first anniversary, because Valentine's Day the year before was their first kiss after Rey saved Ben's life. It's a lot for Ben to live up to. So he asks around for ideas.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	The Promise of Sand Beneath the Sunset

**Author's Note:**

> *slams fic down* I AM NOT LATE
> 
> ...Ok, I'm a teeny bit late. But it's still Valentine's Day in most of the country, so it totally counts, right?
> 
> Anyways! Welcome back to the world of the 20s AU I still haven't written but am still head over heels in love with. This particular piece of it is set in 1926

The walls of the Solos’ speakeasy were painted gold with a subtle shimmer, decorated in intricate, intertwining patterns of blue and green. The décor reflected this, black tables adorned with gold napkins and vases filled with trailing vines and blue flowers. The clientele were well-dressed in handsome suits and gorgeous dresses, dining with civilized manners and grinning as they drank, the stress of a long day melting away as they enjoyed the company and the music. Ben had always admired how his parents had managed to create an illegal establishment that gave off the same air of richness as the fanciest restaurants New York had to offer. It was beautiful.

But not as beautiful, of course, as their best singer.

Rey swayed on the black stage, backed by the rest of the musicians as per usual, but to Ben, the spotlight seemed to shine on her and her alone. It caught every sparkle on her golden dress and black heels, turning her into the speakeasy’s shining sun. Her hair cascaded around her shoulders, swaying with her every move as she lifted her angelic voice to the heavens, eyes closed and her smile easy as she lost herself in the joy of the song.

He could watch her forever.

“Shouldn’t you be up there with her?”

Poe plopped into the seat across from him, civilian clothes on and drink already in his hand even though Ben knew his shift at the station had ended barely twenty minutes ago. “Sore throat,” he said.

“Mhm.” Poe sipped his drink. “And the real reason?”

“I wanted extra time to plan something for Valentine’s Day.”

“That’s in a couple of days, isn’t it?” Poe remembered, searching the room and flashing Finn a charming smile when he found him, far away waiting another table.

“You’re letting Finn take care of your day, aren’t you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. He tries, but he couldn’t possibly plan a proper secret romantic night. I’ve got the details all worked out, and all he has to do is show up with a good gift. But society dumps all the pressure on your shoulders, doesn’t it?” He took another drink. “One of the perks of loving another man: We can share.”

Ben frowned at his water, wishing it had alcohol in it, but pretending to be sick unfortunately meant not drinking. “We’re not exactly a standard couple, if you hadn’t noticed.”

“What, you mean you being the quiet one who’s good at cooking and diligent about cleaning while she spars with your mom and fixes up cars with your dad?” Poe shook his head. “Nah, hadn’t noticed.”

Ben groaned. “I want to do this for her, but I’ve never gotten past the first few dates before, and now our anniversary is on _Valentine’s Day_ of all days, and oh yeah, our last Valentine’s Day was our first kiss after she saved my life. _How_ am I supposed to beat that?”

Rey’s voice rose into the final note of her song and faded out, her eyes opening to meet Ben’s over the applauding crowd. She smiled at him, and he couldn’t help but smile back, but inside he felt the pressure increase tenfold. He wanted to see that smile again on Valentine’s Day and know he had put it there; he wanted her to kiss him and know he had earned it. She was perfect and out of his league and somehow she had chosen him, and he wanted to prove that she had made the right choice.

“Why don’t you ask your dad?” Poe suggested. “Rey reminds me a lot of Leia, he’d probably know what to do.”

“Need I remind you that their first wedding was fake and his proposal didn’t even involve a ring?”

“They had a real wedding later!” Poe protested. “And he got a ring eventually.”

“That makes all the difference,” Ben said drily.

“Clearly.”

Rey descended from the stage for her break, weaving through the crowd to reach them. Ben shifted so she could sit in his lap, and that was exactly what she did, toeing her shoes off and nestling into him. “You owe me a foot rub tonight,” she muttered.

“I know,” he said, rubbing her arm.

She plucked his glass of water from the table and drained it. “We both know you’re not actually sick,” she said at his noise of protest. Setting the empty glass down, she dropped her head on his shoulder and took his hand. “I don’t need anything fancy for Valentine’s Day, Ben. There’s no need to stress about it.”

Looking at her expression, Ben knew she meant it. “I know.”

Reassured, Rey wriggled to get more comfortable and closed her eyes, clearly intent on taking full advantage of her break.

Looking down at her, Ben knew his mind remained unchanged. _But I want to._

\-----

Ben found his dad in their small, cluttered garage, fixing up the latest rusty old car he had bought off someone desperate to get rid of it. He leaned against the piece of junk, his dad beneath it. “What did you do for your first anniversary with Mom?”

“Which one?” he asked over the sound of metal on metal. “The fake one or the real one?”

“I don’t know. The one where you actually tried?”

“Doesn’t matter anyway, I didn’t do anything for the fake one.”

“Then why did you ask?”

“Why not?”

Ben let out a ragged sigh. “ _Dad_.”

“ _Son_.”

He lightly kicked Dad’s leg. “I’m serious.”

With a sigh, Dad slid out from beneath the car, taking Ben’s proffered hand to pull himself to his feet. “I proposed,” he finally answered, setting his wrench down. “Well, I'd already proposed, but that's when I finally gave her the ring.”

“Oh. That’s… nice.” _But n_ _ot helpful._

“I’m guessing that’s not the answer you were hoping for.”

He wasn’t really guessing, but Ben answered anyway. “No. We're not quite there yet.”

"But there is a someday?" Dad asked hopefully. At Ben's look, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll be honest here, kid: I’m not good at the whole anniversary or Valentine’s Day thing. It’s a damn miracle your mother’s put up with me for this long.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Hey! Don’t agree with me,” Dad scolded, pointing a stern finger at him. “For all you know, that’s very hypocritical of you.”

Ben crossed his arms. “As if a little hypocrisy ever stopped a Solo.”

“…Fair point,” Dad allowed. “All right. You want my advice, here it is: You know her best. Better than me, at any rate. I love the girl, but I’m not the one she stays up with late at night, confessing all of her deepest fears and wildest dreams to. That’s _you_ , Ben. Even if you don’t realize it now, you know exactly what she wants.”

“That… was very deep,” Ben said, blinking. “I thought you would just tell me to buy her lots of chocolate and flowers.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” he said drily. “Why are you here, then?”

“Poe suggested it.”

“Good to know the cop I bribe with free drinks every day believes in me,” Dad sighed. He waved Ben off, turning back to his car. “Get outta here, kid, I only have so much time before I have to fulfill my own Valentine’s Day commitments.”

“Mom and I feel the love,” Ben joked, heading for the door. “Good night, Dad.”

“Night, kid. And don’t tell anyone I gave you good advice, it’ll give people expectations.”

Ben smirked, shutting the door just as he finished saying “I make no promises.”

\-----

Ben headed for the kitchen, seeking a snack to fuel his musings. He was bent over the refrigerator, rummaging around in the hope of finding some cheese, when a hand ruffled through his hair. “What are you up to, sweetheart?”

“Failing to plan Valentine’s Day,” he muttered, giving up on the cheese.

“I don’t think a refrigerator has ever helped with that,” Mom pointed out.

He shut the door and straightened up, looking around the cramped kitchen painted in shades of white and brown that she had taught him to cook in. “I’m hungry.”

She pointed pointedly at the basket of apples on the counter. “There’s food right there.”

Grudgingly, he picked one out. “I wanted cheese. We’re out.”

“Because you and your father won’t eat the apples.”

He pursed his lips and took a small bite. “I eat apples.”

She smacked his arm lightly. “Don’t talk with your mouth full, Benjamin Solo.”

He swallowed and sighed. “Seriously, though, I have no idea what to do for Valentine’s Day.”

Mom hummed thoughtfully, getting herself a glass of water. “And how many people have you already asked for advice?”

“Two.”

“And what did they say?”

“Poe said to ask Dad, and Dad said I already knew because I know her best.”

Mom tipped her head, taking a sip of water. “I'll have to hold this over him next year. I thought he would just tell you to buy her lots of chocolate and flowers."

“So did I!” Ben said, taking a bite of his apple. “It’s still not helpful.”

“It’s more helpful than you think,” she said. “Think about it. What’s something Rey has told you that you could do for her?”

Ben leaned back against the counter, contemplatively crunching his apple. “She wants to go to the beach,” he said after a minute of thinking. “Somewhere warm to watch the sun set over the water. She’s never had that.”

“So give her that,” Mom said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world to just take both halves of the speakeasy’s main act across the country at the drop of a hat.

But maybe he could bring the beach to her.

He abandoned the apple, grabbed his coat, and hurried out. “I have to go buy some sand, bye!”

Mom’s voice echoed after him: “Wait, what?”

\-----

Two evenings later, he told Rey to close her eyes and took her hand, leading her to his favorite candy shop down the road. It was run by a little old lady who had always loved Ben, watching him when his parents were busy, letting him have free candy every day, and he had grown up helping her out in exchange for that candy. She had gladly agreed to let Ben borrow her store’s flat roof for his little plan, so long as he cleaned it up. It was an easy promise to make.

Rey sniffed as they entered the shop. “Did you buy me chocolate? Please tell me you bought me chocolate.”

“There’s chocolate where we’re going,” Ben promised. “Keep your eyes closed.”

“Where _are_ we going?” she asked yet again.

“Somewhere nice.” _I hope._ “Careful on the stairs.”

Even with nerves racing through his veins, he let her take the stairs at her own pace, steadying her when she wobbled. Finally, he opened the door and led her onto the sand-covered roof. Closing it behind them, he told her “Open your eyes.”

She did.

She gasped.

Ben, Finn, and Poe had covered the roof with sand. They’d hauled an old tub up and filled it with water, positioning it to reflect the sunset. Beside it were two lawn chairs beneath an umbrella, a tiny table between them with tea, chocolate, and flowers arranged atop it. “It’s not exactly the trip to the beach you keep talking about, but-”

“It’s perfect,” Rey breathed, crouching to run her fingers through the sand. “But you did get _one_ thing wrong.”

His heart stopped. “What?”

She smiled, rising to hug him, nestling her chin on his chest. “It’s far too cold to use separate chairs.”

He let out a relieved breath. “Of course. What _was_ I thinking?” he joked, scooping her into his arms and sitting down with her on his lap as golden light began to slant across the rooftop. He pulled the blanket over them, tucking her in, then poured and handed her a cup of tea.

She sipped it eagerly, lighting up when she tasted it. “My favorite tea!”

“I bought it specially,” he said, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her forehead. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

She set the tea down and draped her arms over Ben’s shoulders. “Now I feel bad about the card I got you.”

“You do need to work on your puns,” Ben teased, her brows furrowing adorably in response to the comment. “But considering you saved my life last Valentine’s Day, I’ll let it go.”

“I did do that, didn’t I?” She leaned in slowly, their lips drifting closer together. “Maybe this _is_ the least you could do.”

“Maybe,” Ben said. “Does that mean you want the last present, then?”

“There’s _more_?” she exclaimed, flirtatiousness forgotten in genuine surprise.

He took a folded piece of paper out from beneath the vase and handed it to her. She unfolded it curiously, eyes widening as she read what he’d written. “You’re taking me to California?” she squeaked.

“I'm taking you to whatever beach you want to visit in the summer,” he said. “Mom’s promised us as much time off as we want. Consider that note my promise to actually do it.”

As the sun began to paint the sky in brilliant hues of orange and pink, she cupped his face in both hands and drew him in for a long, passionate kiss. “I love you, Ben Solo,” she murmured against his lips.

Ben grinned. “And I love you, Rey Barrett.”

She kissed him one more time, then turned around to watch the sunset, tossing sand into the water to make it ripple. She watched it all with awe sparkling in her eyes, munching on chocolate, pointing out shapes in the clouds.

Ben just watched her, happy that he had put that look on her face, knowing no sunset could compare.

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is about Reylo but you have NO IDEA how much joy it gave me to be able to write Ben as having a happy, loving, casual relationship with his parents. SO MUCH JOY


End file.
